I Hate Father's Day
by raeofchaos
Summary: Walt hates his father. Clementine loves hers. They have one thing in common. They both hate fathers day. Written for LostinLost18's Lost Ficcing Challenge 2011.


Clementine Ford sat in the cafeteria of Feildcroft Middle School at a large white table surrounded by many sixth grade girls. The room was blaring with noise as usual; conversations about the upcoming weekend, the stale pizza, and who's dating who. Clementine rolled her long blonde hair around her tiny pale finger. She'd never tell anyone, but crowds make her nervous. She laughed uneasily and turned to the girl next to her to talk, but the room immediately was filled with a loud buzz from the loudspeaker.

"Please pardon the announcement," called a loud raspy voice, "I'd like to request everybody's attention. As you all know, this coming Sunday is Father's day. For those of you who don't know, we are selling carnations for two dollars apiece in the library. Also, we'd like to kindly remind all seniors that the 8th grade prom is only a week away. That is all, thank you."

"Looks like another two dollars saved for me." The other sixth grade girls laughed at her joke before returning to their food. Another year past and still her father has not bothered to find her.

An eighth grader named Walt overheard Clementine while walking past to throw out his tray. Turing towards her, and squinting his eyes together, he asked,

"You're not buying your dad a present?"

"I don't have a dad," she replied simply, picking at her fruit salad. He nodded, understanding.

"Trust me, you're not missing out on much," he replied. She raised her eyebrows, confused. Her whole life, all she ever wanted, was to know her dad.

"What do you mean?" Sitting down next to her, he said,

"I had a dad once."

"We all did," she replied rudely, "don't you take health?" He glared at her small blonde head.

"Yeah. I take health. And my dad's on a boat, his friend told me." She looked at him strangely.

"Why did his friend have to tell her that? Wouldn't you know for yourself if he's on a boat?" Defensively, he said,

"Why don't you have a dad?" She shrugged.

"My mom won't tell me. All she says is, he'll come back someday. If he really is the man she thought he is. And I'll know it's him, 'cuz even though they weren't married, she gave me his last name."

"I bet you he's not." He replied, no doubt in the world, that every dad in the world is evil, and that her dad couldn't possibly be the man her mother thinks he is.

"Excuse me?" She snapped.

"Ain't nobody's father good for nothing," he replied, quoting something Sawyer once said to him, with no idea that he was talking to his daughter at this very moment.

"Well mine is," and she took a bite of grape.

"That's why he hasn't come back yet, isn't it?" She glared at him.

"And what exactly is it that your dad did that is so bad anyways?" She argued. He laughed.

"Do you really want to know?" He wasn't sure what he would tell her, he swore not to tell anyone. But it was getting to be a lot, keeping a secret so big. She nodded slowly, chewing a piece of strawberry.

"He killed people. For me." She gasped, her pretty blue eyes wide with surprise. Walt began yelling.

"HE KILLED THEM!" Teachers were rushing to the scene of the young black boy standing in the middle of the cafeteria yelling at precious Clementine.

"HE KILLED ANA-LUSIA AND LIBBY!" The assistant principle grabbed him by the hand and tears were streaming down the young boys face. As he was escorted out of the building, he continued yelling,

"THEY'RE DEAD BECAUSE OF ME. THAT'S WHY I HATE MY DAD, AND THAT'S WHY I HATE FATHERS DAY!"

The teachers continued to pull him away while Clementine sat with her mouth wide.

"Somebody forgot to take his pill," Snorted the girl sitting next to Clementine.

Clementine smiled and then got up to follow Walt, wanting to know what happened. On her way to the principal's office, she lifted a beautiful purplish-blue carnation, just in case.

AN – I hope you liked it! I know Walt might seem a bit ooc, but people change, and with everything that happened I think it just makes sense.


End file.
